On Sunday, March 30, Zeeshan Ansari made an impression in his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut during the lopsided match between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Visakhapatnam.
Sunrisers faced a seven-wicket loss yet Ansari managed to claim three wickets during the second innings thus becoming a highlight for his team against Rajasthan. Sunrizers Hyderabad batted first but reached only 163 runs in their allocated 18.4 overs. During SRH’s batting inning Aniket Verma scored 74 runs from 41 balls as the other batters failed to capitalize on the favorable match conditions. In the Delhi-Punjabs match Mitchell Starc achieved five dismissals and gave up only 35 runs from his 3.4-over spell to claim the Purple Cap status.
With a scorching half-century from Faf du Plessis, the Delhi Capitals got off to a fantastic start. In an 81-run partnership, his fellow opener, Jake Fraser-McGurk, received a few reprieves. After du Plessis misplayed a slog towards mid-wicket in the tenth over, Ansari gave SRH their first breakthrough. Wiaan Mulder finished the dismissal with a spectacular catch.
Fraser-McGurk was removed off the final ball after hitting two fours and a six in the same over. The bowler made a perfect catch after he chipped a length ball around middle-stump and straight back to him. KL Rahul attempted a sweep but missed it completely, and Ansari cleaned him up with a delivery down the leg-side in his subsequent over.
Ansari took three significant wickets and gave up 42 runs in his final four overs. Both fans and analysts praised the 25-year-old for his outstanding debut performance, even though Delhi easily won with four overs remaining.
Who is Zeeshan Ansari?
The Uttar Pradesh-based cricketer Ansari plays as a leg-spinner hailing from Lucknow. The IPL franchises became interested in his game following his outstanding performances in the second edition of the UP T20 league. During the competition Ansari collected 24 wickets to earn the highest number of scorers for the Meerut Mavericks. His exceptional play proved instrumental for his team as they achieved the title victory in the tournament.
The 2016 edition of the India U-19 World Cup squad included Ansari as one of its members. During his cricketing journey Ansari shared the team lineup at different times with Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar and Ishan Kishan. After making his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh in 2017 Ansari had his last state match with the team in 2020. So far Ansari has managed to secure 17 first-class wickets across all his appearances with Uttar Pradesh in five first-class games. The SRH franchise acquired Ansari in the IPL 2025 mega-auction for a contract worth INR 40 lakhs.
In the upcoming games, Ansari would like to build on his impressive IPL debut performance. In a rematch of the previous year’s final, Sunrisers will play again on Thursday, April 3, at the Eden Gardens against the reigning champion Kolkata Knight Riders.
